In Bangladesh, the purchasing power of marginal, middle class and lower middle class has decreased due to the direct impact of double-digit inflation, said Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue(CPD). He made this statement on the occasion of unveiling a survey report titled “New Government, National Budget and Citizen’s Aspirations” held on Sunday in Dhaka.

Addressing the media on the occasion, Dr Debpriya said, the inflation situation improved globally including the South Asian countries, while in Bangladesh the inflation situation is totally opposite. He said, people have been experiencing a deteriorated inflation for two years in the country.

He also urged the Bangladesh government to prioritize the needs and aspirations of the mass people in preparing the national budget for 2024-25 fiscal year, which is crucial for addressing Bangladesh’s socio-economic needs.

The survey was conducted in collaboration with the Citizen’s Platform for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Bangladesh.

The experts also stressed on the importance of structural reforms in Bangladesh to enhance accountability, transparency, and efficiency in resource management across sectors. Moreover, measures such as import restrictions, monetary policy adjustments, and subsidy reductions in sectors like power and energy were discussed.